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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: perch · tear · charge · dip · net · track · tube · nail

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. tear — from crying
  3. net — after costs
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. tear — from crying
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. charge — a price
  8. tube — a container
  9. charge — in control
  10. track — to keep track
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. dip — to sink
  13. tube — the underground
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. charge — electricity
  16. net — in sport
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. net — for catching
  19. perch — the fish
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. tear — to rip
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. track — a song

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com